WATCH LIVE: Education Hearing On Proposed Budget

A joint legislative hearing has just gotten underway this morning to discuss Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s proposed school aid budget.

Cuomo has touted a 3 percent school aid increase in his budget proposal, as well as competitive grants.

Under Cuomo’s plan, 159 districts would get less state aid than they did this year, which is about 22 percent of the state’s roughly 700 districts, according to New York State United Teachers, a statewide union. Some school leaders are waiting to determine whether they’ll be eligible for the $203 million in fiscal stabilization funds and $75 million in competitive grants for full-day pre-kindergarten and other initiatives, which Cuomo included in addition to about $20.8 billion in direct aid.

Among those testifying include Education Commissioner John King and the superintendents of Rochester, Syracuse, Yonkers and New York City.